Nintendo UK has announced that it will be releasing the controversial Circle Pad Pro (aka Slide Pad) for the 3DS, with the add-on scheduled to ship alongside Resident Evil: Revelations on January 27.

Circle Pad Pro – does it help or hinder the 3DS?

The Circle Pad Pro was originally announced at the Tokyo Game Show, as a hardware add-on for the game Monster Hunter 3G. It adds a second, smaller analogue Circle Pad to the right of the existing face buttons, as well as three extra shoulder buttons at the back (the fourth, L1, is kept the same).Although originally announced for Monster Hunter 3G a number of other 3DS games immediately revealed they would be using it as well. This includes Resident Evil: Revelations, as well as Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon – Legacy (which is out this week in Europe), Dynasty Warriors Vs and Kingdom Hearts 3D.

Resident Evil: Revelations is, like most Capcom games on Nintendo portables, being publishing by Nintendo in the UK and when it’s released on January 27 there’ll also be a limited edition bundle with the Circle Pad Pro accessory.

Although it’s not mentioned in the original press release we’ve confirmed with Nintendo UK that the Circle Pad Pro will be available separately. There’s no indication of what it, or the bundle, will cost but the Japanese price is around £10 for the add-on alone.

Only today we speculated on whether Nintendo would even release the add-on in the West. So whether it’s treated as a novelty extra or whether they promote it as a vital requirement for the console will suggest much about the future direction for the 3DS.